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First Whisky Residue Biofuel-Powered Car Hits The Road

The first car in the world to be powered by a whisky residue biofuel – known as biobutanol – has taken to the roads, part of a new initiative from Celtic Renewables.

Biobutanol is a new and sustainable biofuel that can be used to replace petrol and diesel, produced from draff and pot ale. Every year in Scotland, nearly 750,000 tonnes of draff and two billion litres of pot ale are produced by the malt whisky industry, which the company is keen to convert into millions of litres of this advanced biofuel.

“This is the first time in history that a car has ever been driven with a biofuel produced from whisky production residues. It is fitting to do this historic drive in Scotland, which is famous not just for its world-renowned whisky but also for being a powerhouse for renewable energy,” founder and president of the company professor Martin Tangney said.

A commercial demonstrator plant is now in the pipeline in Grangemouth after £9 million in funding was provided by the Scottish government.

Celtic Renewables itself was recently honoured in the regional finals for the UK Private Business Awards, recognised for Technology Innovation. And in October last year, it was highly commended at the European Business Awards for the Environment – with Professor Tangney saying at the time that such international recognition for a young company is credit to all the work that those at the firm have put in.